The Hidden Hand

We had defeated the two dragons who would have taken the Narselkin from us and as we stood there, weary from the battle we actually began to think we might have done it. The third Narselkin was ours! Garrard had found it and took hold as it was already in the form of a dagger and as that was his weapon of choice..

The room yielded a few other treasures and as we were dusting ourselves down, the bloodied soldier we had encountered came back into the room and was immediately drawn to Garrard or rather to what he was now holding. Immediately suspicious I moved around the room with the soldiers back to me, ready to summon my sword to my hand. Before I could do so, we found surrounded my ghostly beings looking like miniature Beholders, silent and seemingly ghostlike we had all missed the obvious. This reality was only confirmed when the seeming injured soldier suddenly shed his “armour” and trandformed into some nether demon who had been paid to retrieve the Narselkin from our corpses. As tired as we were, suddenly we found ourselves in another pitched fight. Gerrard and Delamor engaged the demon whilst Ivy caused havoc with the ghostly Beholders surrounding us. I became massivley frustrated as time and again my blows failed to land. The ghosts were dealt with quickly, falling into mists that would circle the room.

The Demon, so eager in his task was dispatched with Gerrard daggers moving so quickly that at one stage I thought they were beginning to blur before my eyes. Once again, another enemy defeated, only then did we notice the mists coalescing in the centre of the room, as we watched, half in bemusement, half in fear, we suddenly had a full sized Beholder to deal with, albeit still of a ghostly nature as the others had been.

This Beholder also tried to influence members of our party as we surrounded and engaged it but seemingly to little effect. The Beholder also had a profound effect on me, I had not had much influence in the previous battle but against this for I rained down mighty blow after mighty blow, striking the creature one way and then the other. Eventually the Beholder tried to flea and due to it’s spiritual nature it passed through a wall eluding our final blow. This battle was at last over..

Myself, Ivy and Gerrard all came together with our respective Narselkin artifacts, my sword, Ivy’s staff and Gerrard’s new dagger. Bringing them together they glowed with power and seemed to take on a new shine all by themselves. We had accomplished what some had thought impossible and we were all the mightier for it. Suddenly, that first visit to Loudwater, Captain Harrowleaf and Lady Moonfire all seemed a very long time ago.

The trail leading back out of the mountains was uneventful, I was keen to return to Cormyr and check on the Stormherald but as we descended from the mountains we saw a troop of Cormyrian soldiers moving to greet us. They had been sent to find us, the king had been murdered and our friend, Aradon Thrall was being held for it.

During Athon’s watch he heard a noise coming from the main cavern where the bodies of the minotaurs were piled up.
Trying to be stealthy he approach the doorway from where the party was resting, to see a smaller Minotaur he must of been the runt.
After waking Gregg for his turn of the watch he was interesting in what this Minotaur saw if he knew what Devlin was up to, so he left some of his rations in the middle of the room but heard nothing for the rest of his watch.

The group was ready to continue searching the rest of the halls starting with the right corridor where they found 2 dead minotaurs which Garrad determined they died from the poison from a trap up ahead.
Which he managed to lift up a flag stone and disarmed the trap so we could pass safely through to the next room which had a small chest left in the centre of the square room.

Sensing Devlin could have been here before us Garrad took more caution this time disabling another trap which would of cause some nasty burns had he failed.

The other passage lead down to a set of stair and after a short while Athon had lead us to a T junction with a hole blown through the wall. The disc map point ahead this must have been the way Devlin had gone through.

The passage was more structured and look to be Dwarfen made.

We found an underground lake with a boat and a pulley rope.
Ivy flew across to see if the rope was secure for us to travel over.
Delamor and Garrad set off in the boat first making it across with no problems.

Athon and Gregg pulled the boat back across but something in the water was different a darker shade then the surrounding water.
Gregg lifted up the boat to find a severed Minotaur head lashed to the bottom.
Un tieing the rope and getting a firm grip on the head Gregg heaved it into the middle of the lake assuming something lived here.
The head splashed down and nothing happened.

4 Kuatuar leaped up out the water and onto the other side of the lake next to Garrad, Ivy and Delamor.
Garrad quick reaction took one out with a slash to the throat while another throws and net laced with spikes.

Gregg gets pulled in by one in the water but as Gregg fell in he hit the Kuatuar.
2 Kuatuar climbed up into the boat and Athon unleashed a fiery blast killing two in the back of the boat before he is stuck with a trident and caught in a net.

Garrad meanwhile kills another and bloodies a 2nd.

Kuatuar channels a fork lightening spell towards Athon and Gregg but also catching his friend in the water. Athon and Gregg Team up to take the last one down on the boat.

As the last one on the boat falls Trapspringer can be seen on the edge of the lake he must of gotta lost when we came through the hole in the wall.
Trapspringer jumps into the water not knowing what was lying in wait for us.

After Athon kills another it the rest submerge back into the water.

Athon helps Gregg and Trapspringer back into the boat and they cross to the other side.

After a short rest Trapspringer found a small hole in the wall which he decided to investigate crawling in a few feet only to find himself plummet down a trap hole with spikes at the bottom.
Ivy flew down and sprinkled some dust over Trapspringer before the spike floor fell apart revealing a much large hole. Trapspringer flew out of the hole just before the dust ran out, gripping the edge of the hole delayer pulled him up and helped him cross the hole.
At the bottom of the corridor we saw some light pouring in, as we reached the end of the corridor, We looked out to see a large ancient city with several large obelisks and lots of statues of Kuatuar and in the centre and temple which looked like a large Kraken.

“I still don’t understand what one of these [i]boxing canyons[/i] is” a nasally voice complained. The voice belonged to an equally nasally looking individual, and it would be hard to imagine someone more epitomising the term guttersnipe. He definitely looked out of place in the grand drinking hall the group found themselves in.

“It’s a BOX canyon you halfwit, and it’s like one of your dead end alleys, only made of stone not brick and mortar.” This form a heavyset dwarf further down the bar, nursing a truly massive stein of beer

“That’s about the size of it” Garrad said placatingly, nodding to the Dwarf before turning back to his lifelong friend Skitch, the aforementioned guttersnipe, and continuing. “You don’t wanna get caught down the end of a box canyon when you’re on the run, just like a dead end alley”

“But you did, didntchya? Skitch interupted

“Well, yes, but we were chasing someone at the time, so we didn;t really have a chioce”

“Devlin” the Dwarf growled menacingly before finishing his stein and gesturing for another

“Devlin, right” garrad confirmed “We’d found his airship crashed outside of Cormyr and were tracking him through the mountains when we got to this box canyon and found one of his men being attacked by gobbos….”

Everyone in the party paused and turned expectantly to the Dwarf at the mention of goblins. After a moment he looks up

“whaaat” Just because I’m a Dwarf I’m supposed to hate goblins? Gots nothing against ‘em. They make fine trackers ‘nd wilderness guides”

With a small shrug, Garrad continued. “So, yah. One of Devlin’s men, surrounded by gobboes. Simple enough, right? Only he shouts that a dragon’s coming as well. Now, we don’t want this guy dead till we cn have words with him, so we start laying into the gobboes. Some of ‘em have these spears with something nasty on the end, and others have bows, but we’re making good work of ‘em when, right on cue, a goddsdamned dragon lands right next to Gregg and takes a bit outta his arse. Course, Gregg ain’t happy about this and turns right round and lays into him in return

“This is gonna be another of these “you killin’ it with a thousand daggers” stories, ain’t it?” Snitch interupted

“aaactually” garrad said, looking slightly embarrassed “There were still a couple of the gobboes left when the dragon landed, and everyone else kinda got distracted by it….and you know you don’t want anyone with a poisoned spear sneaking up on you when you’re facing a dragon, so I took care of ‘em. By the time I’d finished them off though…..the dragon was kinda dead…”

“so, you didn’t hactually fight a dragon, hactually at all?”

“Shut up Skitch. So anyway, Dragon and gobboes dead, we turn and ask the Pixie where the hells it’d come from”

“Thought you said he was a man, not a Pixie”

“Ohh, right, yah, forgot to mention. This Pixie jumped outta Delmore’s backpack mid fight and started helping us. Musta been the godawful stink of them that woke her up. Anyway, turns out, she’d been on the airship from before we took ownership, kinda aprisoner or mascot, and had hid during the fight. Figured anyone who’d kill her captors was good enough in her book and decided to tag along with us”

“So, we talk to the man, and I don’t even need to break a single finger before he tells us where his boss had hightailed to, which turned out to be into a cave mouth in the canyon wall. We follow, me sneaking ahead, and I spot a large group of minotaurs, going at each other like the planes were ending. They’re frothing at the mouths, and their eyes are [i]wide[/i] open and bloodshot, and there’s this strange red mist in the room. It’s pretty obvious that the red mist is making them fight each other, and I’ll give you one guess who probably set it off in there, so I sneak back to tell the group what’s what.”

“Delamore gets the wrong end of the stick though, and marches in intending to ally us with one faction or the other against Devlin. Problem is that they’re all drug crazed and one side’s just finished wiping out all the others. These’re minotaurs, so Delamore gets flattened by 3 of ‘em at once and we’re in another fight. It’s not too hard in the end; those minotaurs are already beat up from just before, and they’re kinda siwngin’ crazy from the gas, so we finish them off quickly. We’re all beaten up pretty badly by that point, and it was getting to evening time, so we decided to bed down for the night there.”

Garrad was about to continue when there was a loud crack of splintering barstool an incoherant yell, and a streak of dirty brown as another of his party, a halfling this time, launched himself into a group of adventurers next table over, flailing about madly with his broken off bar stool leg.

“Looks like the midget’s started another barfight” The dwarf said, draining his stain again. “we should probably move on, the proprietors don’t look kindly to damaging the fixtures”. He cracked his nuckles and shifted his shoulders “Course, we’ve a group of people to educate in the proper ways of addressing our little friend first though…”

Like a summer breeze in the autumn, the adulation and praise we enjoyed in those few days after the “battle of the ball” soon began to fade. We were bought fewer rounds of drinks and the best taverns suddenly weren’t as able to find us a table as they once were. We were getting restless ourselves and soon found the need to begin the chase once again, Devlin had got away and there was still some scores that required settling. We had been granted the use of. He skyshp that had crashed into the roof of the ballroom, there was a lot of damage but it was mostly superficial that a few days in a dock could easily fix. The group decided that we would use this vessel to continue the pursuit but firstly we needed a captain and crew. Remembering our first venture in a sky vessel, I approached the first officer of that ship, her name Oladahn. She saw through my initial ploy of saying we wanted to become merchants and that we were really after higher priorities. She agreed to captain the vessel in exchange for what I thought was a higher than normal fee. I left the task of finding some cargo to Garrard and wished I hadn’t. After systematically angering every major merchant in the area we found ourselves with no cargo to carry, using his contacts, we soon had some cargo but I think there was some question as to it’s legality. Everything assembled and all aboard, we revealed the name of the new ship, in a nod of the hat to my Swordmage tutor, I had christened the vessel “Stormherald”.

The trip to Cormyr was initially uneventful for the first few days but a plume of smoke and strange flashes of magic on the horizon vaguely in the direction we think Devlin may have gone (thanks for Gregg’s scrying device), I asked the captain to steer the ship vaguely in the direction, she wasn’t happy about it but she agreed. Upon metering the area we saw the wreckage of another skyship below us, we lowered down and the company disembarked to examine the area. After a few minutes it became clear that this was indeed Devlin’s skyship and that it had been downed by a dragon. I waved the Stormherald away and the captain promised to deliver her cargo and then return to look for us.

Moving on we came across a body, it’s throat slashed and the remains of a makeshift camp, the tracks led further into the mountains where the weather would only make it harder for any ill-equipped party. We came into a box canyon and saw another body but something about the area concerned us, Garrard led the way but soon found himself surrounded by strange creatures, I was able to take his place and took the fight to the enemy. Some of the stones in the area came to life and if not careful you could find yourself being dragged towards them. At one stage, a copy of myself emerged from the ground and actually attacked me, It was soon dispatched but that was definitely one of the stranger experiences on that trip. Garrard was not having a good time as he had been injured quite badly but we pressed on and came across what seemed to be another of Devlin’s men being attacked by small vicious goblin like creatures. In the distance we saw our quarry, Devlin climbing a cliff face, he got to the top, looked at us and grinned. His man who had been under attack looked at us and shouted he could handle himself and that we should handle what was coming. As he said that, I heard the beat of the wings and felt the wind get up as we turned and looked as a golden dragon landed and roared at us.

It appears I’ve been a bit remiss in my recent reports to yourself and his majesty. Most likely one of the several blows to the head I took in our adventures caused me to leave some items out.

We had managed to save the Waterdeep embassy from some demons and prevented the deaths of Bowgentle and Yisselda. We then managed to provide them a place of safety which I can’t really go into for security reasons.

Afterwards we made sure that we had our invitations to the upcoming party secured. Made some arrangements to sneak weapons in and set about to investigate Danzig Crowfellow.

Unfortunately, along the way we were ambushed in the streets by some undead, the origin of which we did not now at the time, but, would discover later.

We showed up at Danzig’s house with a partial plan in mind and were putting one together when the guano hit the fan. Needless to say the best laid plans and all that. We did eventually get in altogether and discover a secret lab/altar where it was evident to us Danzig had been conducting some fairly atrocious experiments into death, decay, and the reanimating of corpses.

We left the house via a secret passage which ended at an apparently abandoned home and had a rest in the attic keeping careful watch on the streets around the house. Unfortunately, as appears the norm on our current endeavours our rest was interrupted by a large undead creature.

We managed to destroy it with our usual aplomb and spent the remainder of days resting and preparing for the ball.

All of the little investigations, all of the slinking around the city, the excursions to fight eveil, it had all boiled down to this one night. The night of the grand ball.

We’d secured costumes and suitable attire before hand but we still had the problem of sneaking our weapons in, this was slightly easier for me as the Narselkin I carried would shrink down to the size of a dagger but in the end we all came up with suitably inventive ways of carrying our steel passed the assembled hordes of guards around the palace.

Upon entering the main hall I think we were all suitable impressed by the grandeur of it, rarely had we seen such size and scale! The Ball was well underway when we got there and at the far end was Duke Porteous, flanked by Danzig Crowfellow and Count Brass. Cautiously and as surreptitiously as I could I started to make my way to the far end, out of the corner of my eye I saw my comraded start to the same thing. I was passing the really rather well stocked buffet table when an individual caught my eye, he was in full costume but wasn’t eating or drinking or making merry. With the little hairs on the back of my neck suddenly rising, I quickly grabbed a couple of wine glasses from a passing waitress and approcached the individual with an air of merriment. No matter what I did, he would not engage with me. I suddenly became aware of other similarly dressed individuals, before I could say or do anything more, they suddenly moved towards the Duke and the inevitable fight began. As soon as both ourselves and the clockwork soldiers drew our weapons the crows went wild with panic, they would prove to be a hindrance as the clockworkers would cut them down if in their way whereas we had to duck and weave.

We engaged the enemy and scored some early success, so much so that the Duke (still beleiving them to be his allies) allowed himself to be ushered out of the room down a side corridor by Count Brass and Crowfellow. Delamor saw this and immediately disengaged from the fight to pursue, Glame moved to assist but I was fighting two at the same time so was unable to follow. It would later transpire that when confronted, Count Brass used some kind of magic to disappear leaving Crowfellow behind who was then knocked unconscious by the Duke himself when his treachery became evident.

Back in the main hall, the fight was going slowly and heavily, we had knocked out some of the Clockwork people and Belgarath made some timely interventions. Delamor and Glame returned to the fight and we carried on the brutal work. Out of the corner of my eye I suddenly say some of the guard enter via the main door at the other end of the hall, hooded figures suddenly appeared on the balconies overhead, was this to be the end after all we had fought for? Well dear reader, as you are reading this then you already know the answer. The guards were led by an ally and the hooded figures were part of the same ‘shadowy’ organisation as Gerard.

Once again, we prevailed through to the end and turned to face the new arrivals.

Down the stair we walked into the workshop floor facing us were a pair of room dividers which split us off from the other side.
Irsal produced a key and gave it to Athon, He proceeded to open the divider pulling it open a crack all he saw was darkness.
Athon opened the gap a little more and being curious Trapsprinner shoved past and walked into the group clangs of metal drop to the floor were heard from the other side.
Pulling the dividers open revealed 2 large Ogre sized robots and 2 small slender robots next to the clock they were to be packaged in and off course our little halfling routing through a box.
Athon questioned the gnome about what he was doing and what they were going to be used for. Athon wasn’t the rational I’ve seen him and offer to toast him if he didn’t give up the information.
Not taking to kindly to this Irsal raised his hands and spoke in an elvish tongue, I didn’t understand the words but Delamor raised his hands out in front of him asking Irsal to stop this but the command
had been given and the Ogre robots charged into Delamor and they knock Athon over.

I stepped in to try and deal with the 3 that had now surrounded Athon and with timed blows causing them to be blinded for a short period while we regrouped.
Delamor was not going to let our efforts getting in here be in vain but grabbing the little Gnome so he couldn’t escape.
The Group continued to damage the constructs, some parts started to fall off causing Irsal to get angry but yelled out in elvish again what I can only assume to be stop.
As they grinded to a halt, he did not want to harm us but he didn’t want what he called his children harm either.
After Irsal broken down his constructs so they wouldn’t be used if anyone came back. he headed out the front door and made our way over to the Cormyr embassy to get Irsal back to Marcember to put him to use with his unique talents.

At this time out night it was rare for guards to be patrolling in such a large number we had to split up and get back to the Cormyr embassy as soon as possible to reduce the chances of us getting caught.
I took to the roof after years in the circus I could scale a building and jump roof to roof like a feline.
After making most of the way there I took a stupid gamble which resulted in a few tiles crashing to the floor but I pulled myself up before anyone noticed me which was fortunate as some guards were moments away

We all met backup in the room where our transport stone was being kept safe I’d only used this once before it was a weird feeling being transported a large distance not my favourite mode of transports
I’d have to say. On returning to marcember we were greeted by a large audience of the purple eclipse members and by black and white, but it was to bad news also the undead and other creatures had joined
in the fight in the north.
Delamor composed a letter to who dealt with the kings matters explaining that he was to put Irsal to work and to give him all the materials he needed to create the constructs to fight and protect Cormyr.
We rested in the Guild house and returned back to Baldersgate in the morning.

With me and Trapsprinner being the least known within the group and not having our faces and names plastered about we decided we would go and find some costumes for the masquerade ball which was to happen in 5 days, the owner of the shop had a wide variety of clothing from the werewolf costume Delamor requested to the elegant dress for Athon. Having brought enough costumes to clothe us twice in case we needed a change.
We left the Cormyr embassy and walk across and down the street where delamor noticed that there were no guards outside of the waterdeep embassy, taking a peek inside to the corridor it looked as if the room had been repainted in blood we a guard lay slumped over in the corner he was clearly dead.
Delamor without thinking of his own safe shot across the room through the doors and down the corridor and took a right we all followed in pursuit.
I heard a door being smashed in the 5 whipping sounds and I saw delamor just stood in a daze while 5 beast approached him.
I darted past and with a dazing flurry of attacks fell them all leaving a shadowy figure lurking next to the desk and 3 bugs which took flight and sprayed the room with a choking mist.
Delamor came around and the orb glow bright only to be shrouded in darkness by the demon, unable to see trying to feel for where the demon was we had no success but the light started to break through the
darkness revealing the demon before we were blinded by the light of delamors orb shocking the demon back across the room.

With the Demon weakened it rouse the veil of darkness once again but I interpreted its movement intercepting it and cutting a deep hole.
The darkness fell once again and there lied a dead demon but the flying chasmes still causing problems among the other party members.
Belgaraph used his illumination spell to keep the chaemes lit up, taking the opportunity Trapspringer took a run and jump to grab one but dodging out the way left only one way the halfing could go, down
flat on his face.
Seeing that there leader was dead one of the Chasme flew towards the door and Athon teleported after it cutting it off at the door and burning it leaving to trace.
After being stabbed earlier by one of the Chasmes in the dark I started to feel drowsy and fell unconscious.
After being woken up with a boot to the side I look up seeing lightening bolts and Garad standing over my body before he eviscerated a chasme causing its guts fell in my face.

I hope this letter finds you well and that you and His Royal Highness have had sufficient opportunity to catch up. It has only been a couple of weeks since I left you and already I am worried for our forces in the north and what awaits them.

Thane’s plot here in the east gets ever deeper. The Company of the Purple Eclipse finds itself marked as outlaws due to the evil machinations of Danzig Crowfellow or Crowfeather, I can never quite remember his name properly.

It appears that he and Count Brass have cut a deal of sorts with Thane or another middle man to help in the conquering of Balder’s Gate on the misassumption that they will be left alive and allowed to rule independently to their evil overlords.

I should attempt to catch you up on the happenings since I left. I know that others are sending their own reports in various formats so will try to pick up from where I believe the last report left off.

We found ourselves at the top of Anesina’s tower and while I was preparing a message for our troops in the north one of our newest members, Glame the Great happened upon another of Diker’s wax tablets which revealed to us significant information about the Balder’s Gate plot.

Unbeknownst to us Anesina had fully survived and made her way to the bottom of the tower where she encountered a somewhat less than alert Garad. Belgarath apparently having wondered off into the swamp to “see a man about a horse” whatever that means.

Anesina turned in a large Raven and flew away but, not before she had somehow summoned a Hydra and several ghoulish minions.

All the party but, one rushed down to intervene on Garad’s behalf , with only Trapspringer our other new member being distracted by something or other as his kind is sometimes known to do.

It was not by any means an easy battle and the details have since fled my mind. Suffice to say I survived and thankfully, so did the rest of the Company that was present.

We then shown again to the world how brilliant we can be at being somewhat inept as we made great effort to smuggle a member of the Flaming Fist into the city as our prisoner and once we had arrived discovered we had no real plans about what to do with him. After much debate we snuck him back out of the city and ended up bribing him to go away.

We then set-off to ambush a horrible little dwarf that we were unfortunately previously acquainted with called Zark. Seems he was making a delivery to a factory here in town and we suspected that he was helping Devlin.

The ambush as you may expect by now did not go well as Garad once again proved himself in Athon’s words the “worst rogue ever” and Athon himself while proclaiming this slipped on a log and alerted the caravan to his own presence.

Zark was accompanied by several duergar and a pack of winter wolves.

Things began in earnest and I purposely revealed my presence hoping to protect Athon and Garad while across the road Belgarath put his own plans in motion.

Trapspringer being a very important part of Belgarath plan’s proved that our luck had rubbed off on him when he bumped into a tree attempting to be stealthy.

Belgarath knocked Zark to the ground while the rest of us concentrated on the wolves and the duergar.

The battle was not going well and it was agreed by most that we needed to keep Zark alive for interrogation, a decision we would come to regret later on. But, none the less I went out of my way to ensure his survival.

It was at about his point when Trapspringer chose to make friends with the horse pulling the cart and removed it’s reins to make it more comfortable. Finally, free of the chains that bound it to its cruel duergar masters the horse celebrated by running away into the woods knocking both Trapspringer and Belgarath out.

At about the same time Garad was struck on the head by a tree limb that had been dislodged by some lightning.

Even outnumbering the last duergar did not help as we were all a mass of blood and Athon had to invoke the power of the Raven before finally felling our foe by throwing his longsword through his chest.

Let it never be said that the Company of the Purple Eclipse isn’t inventive.

After much debating, cleaning up of the battle site, resting, and interrogating Zark to no great effect we set off into the city to check out this factory.

Brilliant planning on the part of Athon and myself got us stealthily inside and into a locked room containing the prisoner Isben.

Although, as should have been expected given our luck on the day he wasn’t really a prisoner being quite content to build his toys.

Before I could beg his apologies and retreat the overseer stormed into the room and summoned three ghostly beings before revealing himself as a Wolf Lord.

The resulting battle was long and very arduous with many of us being possessed by ghosts at various points and attacking each other as well as the enemy in our confusion.

Thankfully, we eventually won the day with Athon again landing the killing blow. I wish I could remember more of the details to impart to you but, I have this terrible stuffed head and a fever coming on.

Hope all is well. Maybe when you write back you’ll share with me some of the history you seem to have with His Royal Highness.

"House Clearing"

From the Chronicles of Athon Bewick

Looking back it seems that this was the beginning of the change between myself and Delamor,
it seemed like such a long time since Loudwater, when I’d accepted what I thought would be
a quick job guarding a transport. I had come into the Company of the Purple Eclipse after
it had been formed, a fact Delamor had reminded me of in the early days and now after
having been away it seems I was now a founder member. Only I wasn’t and never would be,
that was the nature of things, I had accepted it, it seemed Delamor hadn’t. I still
remember that last day I saw him, that last terrible blast of power, but at this point in
my story that was still in the future.

The tower we had ventured into had already thrown a couple of ugly surprises at us but we
had soon dispatched them. Delamor’s newest recruit, Glame and the Halfling Trapspringer
had supplanted our numbers whilst Gilthan tended to Polgara and Gregg. Breaking into the
next room we suddenly found ourselves in a very old library, the mustiness and smell of old
paper was palpable. We immediately began to search, I found some old historical tomes that
I thought I could sell, Glame found some arcane documents and Delamor delicately took a map
down from the wall. Moving into the next room we found a long dining table, but some of
the floor in a corner of the room had fallen away back into the room below. Trapspringer
wondered to the edge, something caught his eye and then the next thing we knew he jumped
in. We looked for him in the water when something else caught our eye, more ghouls moving
towards him, without thinking the rest of proceeded to jump and despatch them. Not overly
hard or difficult but as we were picking ourselves out of the water we suddenly realised
the parchments we had only just liberated were suddenly a sodden worthless mess.

The whole of the bottom floor was flooded, almost certainly as a result of the tower
subsiding into the earth. Delamor started to make noises about how this would make an
excellent base of operations for the Company in this area. We proceeded to move through
the tower, clearing and checking each room in turn without meeting resistance, obviously
this state of affairs could not last too long.

Moving to the next floor we found a chapel to the old god Ometh, something of a darker
deity, Delamor set about desanctifying it whilst the rest of us looked around, correctly
identifying the walls and doors if I recall correctly. The next room seemed like more of
an office, the desk had a simple enchantment on it and there lay various unsavoury blades,
probably in the service of Ometh, somebody picked them up, probably with the intention of
selling them. The next room was more interesting, not for what was in there but rather for
what wasn’t, all was left were the outlines of large objects that recently been removed.

The next floor yielded some bedrooms and some black robes, probably used by the clerics of
Ometh in service to their god. The next floor was much more interesting, obviously used by
whoever was in charge, a large opulent bed, extensive wardrobe, I remember thinking that
there were places in Waterdeep and Baldur’s Gate would have been happy to sell these
clothes. Followed by a large bathroom with what looked to be the largest bath I had seen
up to that point, the urge to strip off my armour and bathe was almost overpowering. I
certainly didn’t keep myself to the high standards that Delamor seemed to. We moved
around, various members pocketing things, Trapspringer took a nice dress (maybe he could
have used it as a tent?)

I’d lost track of how many floors were in this tower as we duly trudged up another flight
of steps, except this time the door was locked, Trapspringer quickly picked the lock and
happily didn’t live up to his name (at least not at this stage). We had found what seemed
to be their vault, locked chests quickly yielded their treasure what there was of it, but
more interestingly, we found a secret door at the end of the room. We opened it and found
three circles of arcane symbols, I realised that these were teleport circles but walking
into one did not do anything, we would need some kind of keyword in order to activate them.

We retreated back to the vault room and decided to wait to see who would come through to
pick up the message that we had ‘delivered’. Nothing happened for a while, we covered it in two man shifts but nothing. A scratching noise on the roof suddenly aroused us, opening the secret door again the circles seemed to be exactly as they were. Call it a fit of pique or anger or something but standing in the circle I suddenly said the word “Ometh” and all of us suddenly winked out of existence and into another one.

We found ourselves in a room without a roof (what we would find to be the top of the tower), finding ourselves attacked by some of kind of spectral tendrils lashing out at us. A mocking female voice assailed us and lumbering skeleton creations advanced towards us. What followed was one on the most pitched fights I had yet encountered. This was also the time that Glame showed what he was really capable of as Anefcina (who had earlier mocked) suffered tremendously under his blows whilst both myself and Delamor fought almost back to back against the skeletons with Trapspringer backing up Glame.

We won, but not before Anefcina had made her escape through one of the teleport circles, panting and breathless, we paused for a moment before making our next move…

While the companies rested and decided on what was to be done about the ghoul remains in the rooms, there was a knock on their door while the group readied themselves for what might be another attack, Ginthan opened the door to what at first glance he though was a child. With a another closer look he realised this was not a child but a Halfling, a Halfling wearing a mismatch of cloths and armour though clearly not made or meant for him but suited his needs non the less, with a sling slung over his shoulder and a sword placed in a strange looking scabbard the Halfling looked almost humours. With a smirk across his face and some hesitation Ginthan began to question the Halfling.
“Yes can i help you ?” asked Ginthan
“Why yes i ‘am looking for a man by the name of Delamor and if you could spare a cup of tea with some food it would work wonders.” The little one said
“May i ask whose calling ?”
“You may ask and i may answer, may names trapspinger from the Derano Clan but most people call me trap.” Answered the young Derano clan member.
“Could you excuse me for a moment?” asked Ginthan staring at the Halfling in amazement at he’s forward motions.

The old man turned to the party inside and explained what the stranger at the door clamed, and ask if they wanted him to send the Derano Clan member away. The group after a few moments decided to let the Halfling inside and find out why he was sent. Trapspinger came inside and introduced himself to the group members and explained he was sent by his clan leader to help the adventures who once helped his clan in the past. After they decided that they should continue with their currant tasks. And leave two of the team mates to rest and recover in the care of the old man, the party choose to head for an inn to spend the night. Inside the inn it was full of people, trapspringer began to draw a crowd to him as he began to sing of times gone by. After though he managed to anger Athon after offing advise to help him with the women in the inn, Athons reaction managed to get him kicked out of the inn resulting in him spending the night in the a stable. While the rest of the group slept in there nice rooms.

The next morning the party choose to spilt up, Trap and Athon were paired up and were sent to the docks to gather information on the large crate with clock work machinery from the parties last visit. While Delamor and Garrad when to the high society area’s to gather information. while at the docks the two hero’s found the dock master who at first refused to help them. But after Athon greased his wheels as it were. Decided to help them and let them search the paper works for information. There were bits of paper all around the room they were searching until trap pointed out a pieces of paper that provide some information. The two learnt of a place know as the copper work shop. Delamor and Garrand wear also able to find out about the copper workshop and some more information on the clockwork machines. They also learnt about members of the flaming fist taking secrete notes to the tower know as the dark tower. And with some help though Garrad connections were able to gather information on times and places the guards meet up. The party regrouped in an inn and formed a plan. They planed was for trap to go and wait in the inn called the lathing star for the guards to meet up. When that guards decided witch one of them would deliver the letter to the tower, trap followed the guard though the city towards the gate. The rest of the companies were waiting in the woods outside the city, waiting for there target to come along so they could strike. While following the guard trap was almost seen but remind in the shadows long enoth for the guard to carry on moving but at a faster past. He then saw the guard talking to the gate guards and was then allowed to pass when trap walk to the gate the guards stopped him but trap was able to blag hes way though with some quick talking. As trap started walking in to the night he began to sing letting the others know that the guard was on his way.